VISION

 What is the issue?

• Recent charges of sedition [IPC Section 124A] against individuals have brought the focus back to a law introduced in the Indian Penal Code in 1870.
• The fact that this law is often used to control dissent calls for a relook into its relevance at the present age.

What was the Supreme Court’s observation?

• In Kedar Nath Singh v. State of Bihar (1962), the Supreme Court upheld the constitutional validity of the sedition law.
• It noted it as being a reasonable restriction on free speech as provided in Article 19(2) of the Constitution.
• It made clear that a citizen has the right to say or write whatever she/he likes about the government, or its measures.
• But this is only as long as she/he does not incite people to violence against the government and not do things with the intention of creating public disorder.

What are the legal procedures to be followed?

 Why in news?

A new law in Australia seeks to make technology platforms such as Google and Facebook pay news publishers for use of their content.

What is the law all about?

• It is named the News Media and Digital Platforms Mandatory Bargaining Code Bill 2020.
• It mandates a bargaining code that aims to force Google and Facebook to compensate media companies for using their content.
• It mandates that these platforms negotiate with publishers of news regarding payment for their content.

What was the response?

 Shankar IAS Current Affairs Magazine January 2021 PDF

1)  PM Modi inaugurates Oil & Gas projects in Assam

•Prime Minister Narendra Modi has dedicated to the nation INDMAX Unit at Indian Oil’s Bongaigaon Refinery, Oil India Limited’s Secondary Tank Farm at Madhuban, Dibrugarh, and a Gas Compressor Station at Hebeda Village, Makum, Tinsukia remotely from Dhemaji in Assam. He also inaugurated the Dhemaji Engineering College and laid the foundation stone for Sualkuchi Engineering College in Assam.

2)  Home Minister released a book ‘Rashtra Pratham – 82 varshon ki Swarnim Gatha’

•Home Minister Amit Shah has released a book ‘Rashtra Pratham – 82 varshon ki Swarnim Gatha’ in New Delhi. The book chronicles the glorious history of CRPF since its raising in 1939 and it has detailed and thoroughly researched accounts of CRPF’s journey, challenges, successes, and sacrifices and said it will become a source of inspiration for personnel joining the force.

•CRPF jawans have always remained at the forefront be it in Left Wing Extremism affected areas, borders or providing security ring to the Indian Parliament.

3)  Dr Harsh Vardhan launches Mission Indradhanush 3.0

•Union Health and Family Welfare Minister, Dr Harsh Vardhan has launched the Intensified Mission Indradhanush 3.0, (IMI 3.0), to expand immunization coverage across the country. The focus of IMI 3.0 will be on children and pregnant women who missed their vaccine doses during the COVID-19 pandemic.

4)  47th Khajuraho Dance Festival 2021 begins

•The 47th Khajuraho Dance Festival began in Khajuraho, Madhya Pradesh which is based on the Indian classical dance tradition. Khajuraho Temples come alive with splendour, beams, and the hustle-bustle of art lovers at the Festival. The first-day event is dedicated to Bharatanatyam performance by Geeta Chandran and her troupe and Kathak performance by Deepak Maharaj.

5)  Rajnath Singh inaugurates DRDO skill centre for fire safety training

•Defence Minister, Rajnath Singh has inaugurated Skill Development Centre (SDC) for Fire Safety Training of Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) through virtual mode at Pilkhuwa in Uttar Pradesh. The first of its kind in India facility has been created by Delhi based DRDO laboratory ‘Centre for Fire, Explosive and Environment Safety (CFEES)’.

6)  Puducherry Chief Minister V Narayanasamy Resigns

•The Chief Minister of the Union Territory of Puducherry, V Narayanasamy has submitted the letter of his resignation and his council of ministers on February 22, 2021, to Lieutenant Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan. The decision was taken as the Congress-led Government in the UT lost its majority in the House, which is 14.

•Following a series of resignations, the ruling government was reduced to a strength of 12. Two MLA resigned in January 2021 while 2 resigned in February 2021.

7)  ICGS C-453 Interceptor boat commissioned into services in Chennai

•The Indian Coast Guard Ship (ICG) named C-453 was commissioned into services in Chennai, Tamil Nadu. This was the 17th interceptor boats out of the 18 which are being indigenously built by Larsen & Toubro Ltd.

8)  DRDO Conducts Two Successful Launches of VL-SRSAM Missile System

•Defence Research & Development Organisation (DRDO) has conducted two successful launches of Vertical Launch Short Range Surface to Air Missile (VL-SRSAM). DRDO carried out the launch from a static vertical launcher from Integrated Test Range (ITR), Chandipur off the coast of Odisha. The launches were monitored by senior scientists from various DRDO labs involved in the design and development of the system. During the test launches, flight path and vehicle performance parameters were monitored using flight data, captured by various Range instruments.

9)  HSBC Raises India’s GDP Forecast for FY22 to 11.2%

•HSBC has raised its growth forecasts for India in the coming fiscal year 2021-22 (FY22), from 9 per cent to 11.2 per cent, following a pick up in business activity and a steady fall in COVID cases. The 2020-21 GDP forecast of India by HSBC remains -6.3 per cent, as projected earlier.

10)  RBI brings State Bank of Sikkim under its regulatory purview

•The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has brought the State Bank of Sikkim under its regulation. Till now, RBI had the right and obligation to function as a banker to all the state government except for the state government of Sikkim. Now the bank will be regulated by the RBI on a par with other banks, however, the bank’s ownership structure will not change.

📰 Railways stung by “breaches” in IT applications during pandemic

 Shankar IAS Monthly Prestorming January 2021 PDF

 What is the issue?

• One of the top Twitter trends recently was “#modi_rojgar_do”, that essentially asks PM Modi to provide more employment.
• In this backdrop, here is a look at the extent of the unemployment problem in India.

What is the unemployment scenario?

 Vision IAS Current Affairs Monthly Magazine January 2021 PDF